Duluth News Tribune

November28, 2017

John Myers

Several U.S. senators from Great Lakes states on Tuesday told the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that they want to see faster action on a proposed barrier to keep invasive Asian carp from moving into the lakes.

The senators want the Corps to finish its report on the so-called Brandon Road carp barrier that is intended to keep the invaders from moving out of the Illinois River system in the Chicago area and into Lake Michigan.

Experts say that the Brandon Road Lock and Dam may be one of the best locations to stop carp from moving into Lake Michigan. But the Corps recently said that a report on the barrier won't be ready until late 2018 and that the barrier wouldn't be operational until 2025.

That could be too late, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

"This timeline is particularly concerning given recent findings that demonstrated new ways for Asian carp to enter the Great Lakes," the letter states.